Rent The Karate Kid on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Robert Mark Kamen
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
Verdict
This is one of those iconic movies that's been quoted and imitated many times. It completely plays into wish fulfillment with the bullied new kid in school getting revenge on his bullies while also befriending the popular girl. While it provides a happy ending, it's the desired ending that uses element of the plot to feel justified. Mr. Miyagi is such a fun character, the unassuming handyman that happens to be a karate master doling out life lessons.
Watch It.
Review
The Karate Kid is a movie that became a cultural icon with the hero-mentor relationship, karate, "sweep the leg", Mr. Miyagi, and the crane kick.
Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is the new kid in California from New Jersey. He doesn't quite fit in, running afoul Johnny (William Zabka) and the local bullies though he is a bit of an instigator.
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| Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio play Mr. Miyagi and Daniel Russo. |
The answer is karate, with Daniel attempting to learn it from a book. It just so happens that the maintenance tech Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in Daniel's building is a karate master. Everything comes to a point when Daniel instigates again at a Halloween dance. Miyagi saves Daniel from the bullies and agrees to teach Daniel.
Miyagi trains Daniel by having him wash cars and paint fences. It doesn't seem like training but Miyagi shows Daniel how those movements were indeed karate. It's the classic "wax on, wax off." Daniel wants karate for revenge, but Miyagi tries to teach him that you learn karate so you don't have to use it.
A large factor in this story is that Daniel likes a girl and is insecure that he's from Reseda and from a lower income than the girl he likes and her former boyfriend and Daniel's current bully Johnny. Daniel didn't want to move, leaving home behind. It's his insecurities that cause him to lash out and play at being tough with the bullies. A large part of learning from Miyagi is developing confidence. The movie doesn't get into it, but Miyagi is fulfilling a father role for Daniel, and the lack of a father could be a large part of Daniel's insecurity.
This movie had to create a boom in karate. It makes it look fun, it's the perfect way to fend off bullies, and if you train for a couple of weeks you'll be a winner. This is a cultural touchstone precisely because it uses or invented these tropes. Miyagi doesn't look like a master of karate. Daniel is the son Miygai never had, and Miyagi is a father figure.
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| William Zabka and Ralph Macchio play Johnny and Daniel. |
Everything comes down to the karate tournament. I don't know how the points system works. Some matches are two points, others three. A kick to the leg is a disqualification, but a kick to the face wins Daniel the match.
The Cobra Kai sensei is the real bad guy. He's deluded these kids to think no mercy, extreme violence, and cheating ensures victory. The kids don't want to follow his orders, but they're scared of him and do so anyway. He exploits them to harm a kid, Daniel. For what? It's not far from the parents that take kids' sports way too seriously.
Daniel fights to the end despite all odds, facing Johnny, and winning with a crane kick. It's a move made up for the movie as no one in the movie could pull off a spinning leg kick that starts, kicks, and ends on the same leg. Immediately after winning Johnny hands Daniel the trophy and everything is okay. It seems a bit swift, but this movie is about feeling more than reality. This is a bit of fantasy with the bullied kid learning karate in a few weeks and becoming the champion, living happily ever after. It's not realistic, but it sure is fun.
Watching Cobra Kai, it's interesting how Johnny's story is re-contextualized. It's a great way to reboot the franchise and a fun nostalgia trip.
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